What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a type of specific learning difficulty (SpLD) that makes it hard to learn to read, write, and spell, no matter how smart someone is or how well they are taught. The main sign of dyslexia is trouble with phonological processing, which means recognising and working with the sounds in spoken words.
Children with dyslexia often have difficulty matching written words with their sounds, making reading slow and harder to understand. Dyslexia is linked to different patterns in the brain that affect how language is processed. It can also be inherited, meaning it can run in families.
Common Dyslexia Symptoms
Dyslexia symptoms can show up in different ways, like:
Trouble with phonemic awareness (recognising individual sounds in words)
Struggles with remembering letter patterns (orthographic processing)
Difficulty with rapid naming (quickly naming letters, numbers, or symbols)
These issues may also affect tasks like organisation, concentration, and remembering things, but these alone don’t mean a person has dyslexia. If you think a child might have dyslexia, it’s important to get a proper diagnosis from a dyslexia assessor.
Early Signs of Dyslexia
The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) lists several signs that may show up early in children. Dyslexia looks different for everyone, so not all children will have the same signs. A professional assessment is important. Some early signs include:
- Delayed language skills compared to other kids
- Difficulty recognising and working with sounds (e.g., rhyming or breaking words into syllables)
- Trouble remembering things like the days of the week or the alphabet
- Difficulty with fine motor skills (e.g., writing or tying shoelaces)
- Confusing letters like b and d, or words like "was" and "saw"
- Struggling with letter-sound connections and slow, inaccurate reading
- Frequent spelling mistakes
- Challenges with remembering the order of letters, numbers, or events
- Avoiding reading or writing because it's hard
- Difficulty learning a second language
Children's Services
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Dyslexia Assessment
To have a child assessed for dyslexia, you'll need to arrange a formal dyslexia assessment. This assessment might lead to an official dyslexia diagnosis.
What happens in a diagnostic assessment?
Your child will be asked to complete several tasks, including language and practical tasks to explore your reading, writing, memory and information processing.
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Tailored Dyslexia Tutoring
As a Specialist Tutor, I provide personalised support in reading, writing, math, and study skills for students of all ages with dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other related challenges. I’m also happy to offer help with study techniques and touch typing if needed! Students with dyslexia often thrive when working with a tutor who truly understands their unique learning needs.
My specialised dyslexia tutoring focuses on reading, writing, and spelling, using multisensory methods tailored to each student’s individual learning style.
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ADHD Coaching & Mentoring for Children
Everyday life can be incredibly challenging for children with ADHD, especially when faced with the strict demands of high school. If your child is struggling, ADHD coaching can be a game-changer.
As an ADHD coach with UK-accredited teacher training, I can help your child better understand their ADHD and create personalized systems to help them thrive.